444 A STUDY OF SIOUAN CULTS. 



note) that the knowledge of this guardian spirit comes through dreams 

 at the initiatory fast. If this is ever true amoug the Dakota, it is not 

 the rule. This knowledge is communicated by the " war prophet." ' 

 (See §§120, 127, 129, 305, etc.) 



Ashley tells us that among the Sisseton and Wahpeton Dakota the 

 warrior, as such, was forbidden by custom of law to eat the tongue, 

 head, or heart of many beasts. There were other animals of which the 

 heads might be eateu, but not the tongues. A warrior about to go on 

 tbe war x)ath could uot have intercourse with women, but must go 

 through the purification of the iuipi or sweat bath, which lasts four 

 days. A married warrior could not touch his own weapons until he 

 had thus purified himself^ 



§ 123. The Armor god and the Spirit of the mystery sack are some- 

 times spoken of as if they were individual and separate divinities; but 

 they seem rather to be tlie god-power which is put into the armor and 

 sack by consecration. They should be regarded as the indwelling of 

 the Unktehi or of the Taku.skau.skan. A young man's war weapons 

 are wakan and must not be touched by a woman. A man prays to his 

 armor in the day of battle. In the consecration of these weai)ons of 

 war and the hunt a young man comes uuder certain taboo restrictions. 

 Certain parts of an animal are sacred and must not be eaten until he 

 has killed an enemy.' 



THE WAR PROPHET. 



§ 124. The war prophet has been referred to. In this capacity the 

 wakan man is a necessity. Every male Dakota 16 years old and upward 

 is a soldier, and is formally and mysteriously enlisted into the service of 

 the war prophet. From him he receives the implements of war, care- 

 fully constructed after models furnished from the armory of the gods, 

 paiuted after a divine prescription, and charged with a missive virtue — 

 the tonwan — of the divinities. From him he also receives those paints 

 wliich serve as an armature for the body. To obtain these necessary 

 articles the proud applicant is required for a time to abuse himself and 

 serve him, while he goes through a series of painful and exhausting 

 performances which are necessary on his part to enlist the favorable 

 notice ot the gods. These performances consist chiefly of vapor baths, 

 fastings, chants, prayers, and nightly vigils. The spear and the toma- 

 hawk being prepared and consecrated, the person who is to receive 

 them approaches the wakan man and presents a pipe to him. He asks 

 a favor, in substance as follows : " Pity thou me, poor and helpless, a 

 woman, and confer on me the ability to perform manly deeds." The 

 prophet gives him the weapons and tells him not to forget his vows to 

 the gods when he returns in triumpli, a man. The weapons are care- 

 fully ]5reserved by the warrior. They are wrapped in cloth, together 



• Eiggs, Tah-koo Wali-kou, pp, 69, 70. 



'Ker. E. Ashley, MS. U-tter to Dorsey, March 24, 1884. 



'Riggs, in Am. Antiq., vol, ii, JJo. 4, p. 270. 



